Toy horse



Flld April 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheei 1 April 1950 A. J. MlDDLER 2,505,058

TOY HORSE April 25, 1950 A. J. MIDDLER TOY HORSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flled April 28, 1945 Ill/lulfl/lllflll/II INVENTOR. AZEXA Nam c/T m/opzaq,

Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY HORSE Alexander J. Middler, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 28', 1945, Serial No. 590,898

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to toy horses whichmay be ridden by a child and has for its object to provide a toy of this kind which will be propelled by motions of the body of the rider in simulation of riding a live horse.

An object of this invention is to provide a toy mounted on Wheels and having a crankshaft with at least one crank throw for rotation of the wheels, the connecting rods for said crankshaft being so arranged that when the rider imposes his weight on the crankshaft through his feet the wheels will be rotated through approximately 180 and when he imposes his weight on the crankshaft by seating himself the wheels will be rotated through a second 180 thereby rotat ing the crankshaft to the starting position. In other words, the rear end of the body is pivotally attached to the crank of the crankshaft so that it rises and falls with rotation of the crank and consequently may be used to drive the crank through half a rotation. A shifting of the weight of the rider from the body to a linkage connected 5 to the crank, by alternately seating himself onthe body and standing in footrests simulating stirrups on the linkage, thus causes rotation of the crank through successive half revolutions and, therefore, through continuous revolutions.

Alternate shifting of the weight of the rider fromnected to foot rests and the other two being jour nalled jointly in thebody of the horse and in rear wheels supporting and propelling the body.

Another object is to provide a crankshaft connecting the rear wheels and having a single crank throw, this single: throw being connected to a connectin'g rod which carries the weight of the body directly and to footrests which are: also connected to the crank throw through a linkage for alternateoperation of the crankshaft by the inquest tion of the weight of a rider on the body then. on;

the foot rests.

A furtherobject is to: provide a. drive, as above described, in. which the crankshaft is so related to its actuating linkages that the tendency to stop at a dead center will be minimized.

A still further object is'to provide atoy horse as above described having-a single front wheel mounted for steering movements andmeans for steering, this wheel comprising handles or reins located at. or. near the horses mouth.

Other objects and advantages will become here inafter more fully apparent as reference is bad to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section ;through my improved horse showing a crankline 3-1: of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the operating mechanisms shown with the stirrup in depressed position, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the stirrup shown in elevated position.

More particularly, i indicates the body of a toy horse which is hollow in the interests of lightness of construction and in order to house the linkages hereinafter described. Pivotally secured inte'riorly of the body I at an intermediate point in the height and near the front end thereof are dual main supporting members 2 which parallel each other in mutually spaced relation and which extend downwardy and rearwardly to the region of rear wheels. A crank shaft 3 having a single crank throw is journalled in the supporting members 2, the two supports being located on opposite sides of the crank throw. Two spaced rear wheels 4- are fixedly mounted on the crankshaft 3 for rotation therewith. Pivotally connected at 52 to the interior of the body I above the crankshaft 3 is an elongated connecting rod 5 which is journalled at its lower end on the throw of the crankshaft 3. It will be noted that the pivot I2 is slightly rearwardly of a vertical line which intersects the axis of the crankshaft 3.

Intermediate the length of the connecting rod 5 an actuating link or lever B is pivotally connected thereto, this lever being fulcrumed intermediate its length by a roller 1 rotatably supported by a pin 8 which connects the two supporting members 2. A retainer 9' secured to the lever 6 forms a slot for contained travel of the lever on the roller.

The lever 6 has foot restsupports Ill pivotally connected thereto andde ending therefrom, a. bar

H extending laterally from each side of the sup ports Hi serving as rests for the feet of the rider.

A single front wheel !3 has an axle i4 journalled in ayoke I5 which is secured onto a substantially vertical steering shaft it. A bearing I? carried by. the lower part of the body i as athrust bearing and a second bearing i8 vertically above andaligned: with therbearing ll support;

3 the shaft it within the body I. The shaft i6 is bent at its upper end and a cross-shaft I9 is secured transversely of the shaft it in such manner as to form steering handles. The bend of the shaft [6 is at a height such that the handles i9 will extend outwardly from a slot 20 in simulation of the mouth of the horse.

The operation is as follows: When a rider is seated astride the horse I with his feet resting lightly on the foot rests H substantially all of his weight will be applied to the pin 52, the connecting rod 5 and the crankshaft 3 which will cause the throw of the crank to find a position below the axis of the crankshaft. The pin 12 extends from one side of the interior of the body to the other and is firmly anchored therein at each end so that the weight of the rear part of the body is transferred to rods 5 by the pin l2. Whether the lowermost position is vertically below the axis of the crankshaft will depend on the relative vertical position of the pivot 52. The oft-centering effect can be varied by selec tion of its position. If the pivot 12 is vertically above the axis of the crankshaft at the end of its downward stroke then the crank throw will be vertically below it. As illustrated in Figure '3, the pivot is slightly rearwardly of this vertical line V-V, so that the axis of the crank-pin will come to rest almost vertically below the axis of the crankshaft but very slightly in front of it. When the rider then shifts his weight onto the foot-rests II the lever 6 is rocked in a clockwise direction about the pin 8 and exerts upward force on the pivot 5b in the direction of the ar row 0, as indicated in Figure '7, this arrow indieating a tangent to a circle having its center at the top of roller 8 and a radius from that point to the pivot 51). Since the pin I2 is fixed in the body this force acts to swing the bottom of the rod 5 to the left and upwardly thus rotating the crankshaft 3 over bottom dead center in a clockwise direction which will continue, with continued pressure on the stirrups H, for approximately 180.

As the rod 5 is thus elevated the rear of the body is accordingly elevated, the body being thus rocked through a vertical are having its center at the axle Id of the front wheel. The pin :2 is thus carried relatively forwardly over the axis of the crankshaft 3 so that when the rod 5 attains its uppermost position, as indicated in Figure 6, a vertical line through the axis of the crankshaft will correspond approximately with line A.--B through the center of the pin l2 and this axis, the degree of approximation depending on just how far back of the vertical the pin 12 is set in the position indicated in Figure 7.

As the stirrups l l are depressed the lever t not only rocks about the fulcrum 1 across a horizontal line through the fulcrum but also rolls on the roller 8 so that when the rod 5 attains its maximum upward position there is still a force in the lever urging the pivot 5b to the right of the line AB which will carry the rod 5 past upper dead center by an amount indicated by the angle a. Thus, when the rider again shifts his weight from the stirrups to seated position his weight is imposed on the pin i2 and the crankshaft will continue to be driven in a clockwise position until the crankshaft reaches the position shown in Figure '3'. Alternate shifting of the weight of the rider from the stirrups to the body thus causes continued rotation of the rear wheels and, hence, continued forward movement of the horse together with a rocking movement about the axle of said wheels mounted on the ends thereof for rotation therewith, a connecting rod rotatably connected to a throw of said crankshaft at one end and pivotally connected to the interior of said body at a point substantially vertically above the axis of said crankshaft whereby the imposition of the weight of the rider on said body causes rotationof said crankshaft and wheels through a portion of a revolution, foot rests intermediate the length of said body, and a linkage having one member pivotally supporting said foot rests and having another member pivotally connected to said one member and pivotally connected to said connecting rod intermediate the ends of said connecting rod, the last named member being fulcrumed intermediate its ends whereby the imposition of the weight of the rider on said foot rests rotates said crankshaft and wheels through the remainder of a revolution.

2. A toy vehicle comprising a body adapted to sustain the weight of a rider, two rear wheels and a front wheel supporting said body, a crankshaft having the two rear ones of said wheels mounted on the ends thereof for rotation therewith, a connecting rod pivotally connected to the interior of said body at its upper end, the pivotal connection to said body being substantially vertically above and slightly rearwardly of the axis of the said crankshaft when said connecting rod is in lowermost position, said connecting rod being rotatably connected at its lower end to a throw of said crankshaft, dual main frame members jointly pivotally connected to the interior of said body near its front end and intermediate the height thereof, said crankshaft being journalled in said frame members at their other ends, foot rests, a rocking lever having a rolling fulcrum intermediate the ends thereof carried by said frame members, said lever pivotally supporting said foot rests at one end and being pivotally connected to said connecting rod at its other end intermediate the height of said connecting rod.

3. A toy vehicle comprising a body adapted to sustain the weight of a rider, two rear wheels and a front wheel supporting said body, a crankshaft having the two rear ones of said wheels mounted on the ends thereof for rotation therewith, a connecting rod pivotally connected to the interior of said body at its upper end, the pivotal connection to said body being substantially vertically above and slightly rearwardly of the axis of said crankshaft when said connecting rod is in lowermost position, said connecting rod being rotatably connected at its lower end to a throw of said crankshaft, dual main frame members jointly pivotally connected to the interior of said body near its front end and intermediate the height thereof,

said crankshaft being journalled in said frame members at their other ends, foot rests, a lever pivotally connected at one end to said foot rests and at its other end to said connecting rods, and a roller supported between said dual frames constituting a fulcrum for said lever, said lever having a retaining slot to maintain said roller in constant engagement therewith.

4. In a toy horse, a body constructed in simulation of the shape of a horse and upon which a rider may be seated, a steerable wheel supporting the front end of said body, spaced wheels supporting the rear of said body, said wheels being connected by a common axle through their respective centers, said axle having a single crank throw intermediate the length thereof, a divided frame member journalled at its ends on said axle adjacent each of said wheels outwardly of said crank, stirrup means intermediate said front and said rear wheels depending from and pivotally connected to one end of a rocking beam, said beam being connected at its other end through a linkage to said crank and fulcrumed on a pivot carried by said frame said linkage comprising a connecting rod pivotally connected at its upper end to the interior of said body for the support thereof and journalled at its lower end on said crank whereby when said rider is seated on the body the crank will assume one position and when said rider imposes his weight on said stirrup means the crank will assume another position approximately 180 removed from its first position, the pivot of said rocking beam with said frame being adapted to shift fore and aft during rotation of said crank thereby biasing said crank in uppermost and lowermost positions whereby said crank always stops off dead center position whether the weight of the rider is on the body or on the stirrup means.

5. A toy vehicle comprising a body adapted to sustain the weight of a rider, two rear wheels, a front steerable wheel supporting the front end of said body, a crankshaft journalled in said two rear wheels and secured thereto for rotation therewith, a substantially vertical connecting rod connected at its lower end to the throw of said crankshaft and pivotally connected at its upper end to the interior of said body for the support of the rear end of said body, a divided main frame member having its front end pivotally connected to the interior of said body near the front end of said body and having journals at its other end to receive said crankshaft, foot rests carried by links at each side of said body, said links each being pivotally connected to one end of a lever pivotally connected at its other end to a point intermediate the length of said connecting rod, said lever being arranged to fulcrum intermediate its length back and forth across a horizontal line about a roller carried by said main frame member, said foot rests when supporting the weight of a rider causing partial rotation of said lever about its fulcrum with consequent elevation of said connecting rod and rotation of said crankshaft, said body whensupporting the weight of said rider depressing said connecting rod, thus causing further partial rotation of said crankshaft, said connecting rod by its movements of elevation and depression causing a corresponding elevation and depression of the rear end of said body through an are having its center on the axis of said front steerable wheel.

6. A toy vehicle comprising a body adapted to sustain the weight of a rider, two rear wheels, a front steerable wheel supporting the front end of said body, a crankshaft journalled in said two rear wheels and secured thereto for rotation therewith, a substantially vertical connecting rod connected at its lower end to the throw of said crankshaft and pivotally connected at its upper end to the interior of said body for the support of the rear end of said body, a divided main frame member having its front end pivotally connected to the interior of said body near the front end of said body and having journals at its other end to receive said crankshaft, foot rests carried by links at each side of said body, said links each eing pivotally connected to one end of a lever pivotally connected at its other end to a point intermediate the length of said connecting rod, said lever being arranged to fulcrum intermediate its length back and forth across a horizontal line about a roller carried by said main frame member, said foot rests when depressed by the imposition of the weight of the rider rocking said lever about its fulcrum thereby elevating said connecting rod and simultaneously rolling on said roller thereby forcing the connecting rod over the upper dead center position of said crankshaft, said body when supporting the weight of said rider depressing said connecting rod, thus causing further rotation of said crankshaft to a position where the crank throw is substantially vertically below the axis of said crankshaft, said connecting rod causing an up and down movement of the rear end of said body and also an oscillating movement of said body about the axle of said front steerable wheel whereby the position of the pivotal connection of said connecting rod to said body varies with respect to a vertical line through the axis of said crankshaft during propulsion of said body.

ALEXANDER J. MIDDLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 41,310 Mackenzie Jan. 19, 1864 665,555 Warffuel Jan. 8, 1901 1,304,985 Johnson May 27, 1919 1,510,491 Baisden "Oct. 7, 1924 1,574,852 Smith Mar. 2, 1926 1,651,583 Calleson Dec. 6, 1927 2,021,531 Urytzky Nov. 19, 1935 2,211,151 Naegle Aug. 13, 1940 2,286,196 Middler Mar. 25, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,269 Great Britain May 18, 1887 10,112 Great Britain June 15, 1891 753,570 France Aug. 12, 1933 

